As of June 2012, there were 775 children under the care of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services in the Shelby Region, 70 of who are under probation supervision.
Memphis, Tennessee and Shelby County are part of the Shelby Region within the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), Division of Juvenile Justice. In addition to the Shelby Region, there are 11 other regional offices located across the state, all of which provide probation and aftercare services to more than 3,000 juveniles each year.
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How to Become a Juvenile Probation Officer in Shelby County
Candidates seeking juvenile probation officer jobs in Memphis and throughout Shelby County must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and at least one year of full-time experience working within a child welfare environment, performing one or more of the following duties:
- Social, correctional, or psychological counseling or case management
- Volunteer services coordination for a children’s service program
- Juvenile classification coordinator
Candidates must show proof of at least 60 semester hours of 90 quarter hours of criminal justice or social services courses within their bachelor’s degree program.
Before being hired by DCS, candidates for probation officer jobs in Memphis must:
- Undergo a criminal history investigation
- Supply a fingerprint sample
- Possess a valid driver’s license
Training Requirements for Juvenile Probation Officer Careers in Shelby County
Upon being hired by DCS, newly hired officers (often referred to as case managers or family service workers) must complete a course of training through the Tennessee DCS to learn how to become juvenile probation officers in Shelby County. The program involves at least 40 hours of training within the first year.
Thereafter, juvenile probation officers must complete at least 20 hours of training annually.
About the Tennessee Department of Children Services
The Department of Children Services in Tennessee has 4,303 staff members. Case managers/family service workers are assigned to three areas within DCS:
- Child Protective Services
- Social Services
- Juvenile Justice – Staff work with juveniles within the department’s custody or has been assigned by probation by the juvenile courts.